We took a trip to Ireland last year, but it was just us. We knew immediately the kids would love it, so this time we brought the kids to Ireland! Day 1 We left the house Monday, August 14th about noon and arrived at Newark International Airport at about 2:30, breezed through security, and sat […]
2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Ultimate – Mom’s Thoughts
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may make money when you purchase through them.
I drove 11 hours home from Kentucky on a Sunday. I had no desire to even look at a car on Monday, but then DriveShop dropped off this beautiful 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Ultimate for me to drive around for a week.
The 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Ultimate is one of my favorite vehicles we have driven for review.
As a mom of two little ones, both in convertible car seats, we always need a vehicle with lots of space. One of my favorite features of in the model is the captain’s chairs in the second row. This makes getting to the third row so much easier! Honestly, if I have to put down a seat to get to the third row, it’s not getting used. In a few years when the kids are able to buckle themselves, I’m sure it’ll get more use, but while they still need us to buckle them it’s not really easy for us.
Charlie loves having the third row to himself! He especially thought it was super cool that he had controls back there for him!
Space
On Easter, we picked up Tom’s grandparents and drove them to my in-laws. In our personal vehicle this would have meant taking two vehicles. Luckily, we had the Hyundai Santa Fe and we were able to fit all 6 of us, including the boys in their large convertible car seats!
Tom rode in the third row with Charlie, while his grandfather sat in one of the middle row’s captains chairs. Tom said he didn’t have a ton of space in the third row, but at least he fit, which is more than I can say for some models.
With the third row up and in use, you lose some of the storage space in the trunk, but there’s still enough for what we needed!
Even with Charlie in the third row, we were able to fit their new ride in the car by putting down the other side of the third row. Seriously, it fits!
Safety
Safety is, of course, something that we all care about, but I definitely notice things more since I started driving around with such precious cargo.
The 360° camera view is definitely a huge safety feature that I always feel naked without when I go back to my personal vehicle.
Controls are available on the driver’s side to turn on/off lane departure warnings and blind spot detection.
Car Seats
Car Seats were easy to install in the 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Ultimate. You know this is a big thing for me. We are an extended rear-facing family and just switched Owen at the end of 2016 (he was 3 years 2 months). Now that both boys are forward facing, it is a little easier to situate their car seats.
In the Hyundai Santa Fe, I installed Owen’s convertible car seat forward-facing in the middle row, passenger side. You can fit two car seats in the second (middle) row, one on each of the captain’s chairs. There are lower Latch anchors on each seat that are easy to use, but we installed with the seat belt. The top tether anchors are clearly marked and easy to use.
We installed Charlie’s convertible seat forward-facing in the third row. There are no lower Latch anchors in the third row, so you will need to install with the seat belt method. There is only one top tether anchor in the third row, which was on the passenger side, the one with the temperature controls as you can see in the picture further up.
Comfort
Now that you’ve seen the boys zonked out in their car seats, let’s talk about comfort for a minute. I need to be comfortable when I’m in the car. The front row has vented and heated seats, perfect for a cool winter or a hot summer!
The middle row has heated seats available. And… the captain’s chairs slide and recline! Talk about a comfortable ride for your backseat! Seriously mom, let dad drive while you kick back in the second row!

Owen’s car seat is super stained up, but… you get the point!
For the kids, I really like the built-in sunshades for the middle row. I cannot tell you the frequency that Owen cries about the sun being in his eyes, so these are always a big win for us!
While cup holders do not seem like something that really matters, I’m sure most of you parents can agree with me on this one – they do! We had easy access to two in the front seat, the middle row has two that are connected to the center console, and the third row has some also! We need all the cup holders for drinks and snacks!
Have I expressed my love for panoramic sunroofs before? I’m sure I have, but if you didn’t know – I love panoramic sunroofs. The 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Ultimate that we drove had an amazing sunroof that went back to the third row and about half of that opened. I love fresh air while driving around, especially in the spring.
The 6-passenger 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited Ultimate drove like a dream and I was super sad to give it back. Being able to haul my family around comfortably and in-style is always cool!
Leave a Reply